


We Are the... Caerula Adamas?

by amateurCatalyst



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), 美男高校地球防衛部LOVE! | Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Exposition, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-09 02:23:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7783138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amateurCatalyst/pseuds/amateurCatalyst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Binan High's Student Council went to study abroad in a small place named Beach City. What they didn't expect was to find an alien species even stranger than speaking animals.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Beach City!

**Author's Note:**

> Steven's b-day is in August 15th, so... An accidental birthday gift to the precious little biscuit?
> 
> I'm sorry for the absurd amount of exposition this fanfiction will have. And some things may be a bit divergent from both canons, but they were needed to adapt the setting.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven meets three exchange students in his town. They meet the Crystal Gems and a whole new predicament they didn't expect.

There are an insurmountable amount of planets in this Universe. Some are nice, some not so much.  
There are creatures of all sorts and origins in this Universe. Some with really long lifespans, some with really short ones.  
But if there is a species that will always be intriguing... They'll be... Humans.  
Their lifespans are really short. Yet, they can make so many changes in so little time...  
It's the power of love. The power of choice.  
There is another species that's really intriguing, too.  
Gems.  
What are they really? Nearly immortal, extremely sturdy beings whose only weaknesses are the core of their existence, their gems.  
And apparently, both did unite once. And became one.  
The result was a young boy. Half-gem, half-human.  
His name? Steven Quartz Universe.  
He used to think humans couldn't do much unless through sheer determination...  
... Until he met a trio of unlikely heroes, that is.  
  


* * *

  
Steven was buying donuts when he overheard Lars' and Sadie's conversation.  
  
"What even is this hubbub about?" Lars asked, looking bored.  
"Apparently, there are some foreign interchange students in our city." Sadie replied. "Seems like they're some kind of rich Japanese guys...?"  
"Wow. awesome." Lars sarcastically sighed, secretly a bit jealous.  
  
"Foreign students?" Steven asked, his eyes sparkling with the news. "From Japan?"  
"Yeah, I guess so?" Sadie nervously chuckled.  
"Wow! I bet Ronaldo must be ecstatic!" Steven had the biggest grin. "I'm gonna talk to him about it!" He runs away with his donuts, but not before paying for them.  
  
"Ronaldo!" Steven spotted the french fry nerd. "Do you know about the new interchange guys?" He asked.  
"Ah..." Ronaldo looked dejected. "Yeah. The one with long hair wasn't really keen of me. He said I wasn't beautiful and flipped his hair." He sighed. "The tallest one seemed to be a really cool guy, but the shortest one looked angry. Maybe they aren't very pleased to be here, I guess."  
"But why not? Beach City is a cool place!" Steven huffed. "I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!" And then, he walked away.  
"Hey!" Ronaldo shouted. "Tell the tallest one I want to be his friend!"  
"Okay!" Steven smiled, giving Ronaldo a thumbs up.  
  
"Tall one... Short angry one... Long hair..." Steven looked thoughtful. "Tall one... Short angry one... Long hair."  
  
And there they were. The three figures were talking to Buck Dewey about something. Apparently, Buck seemed to be okay with them.  
Something about them called Steven's attention, though.  
They looked like they could be Gems. If Gems were guys, that is.  
The tallest one, with dark green hair and burgundy eyes, seemed to be calm and smile a lot. Steven found him to be the coolest out of them. Maybe he could hang out with Garnet and both would be cool. Also, he was so tall... He looked a lot like a fusion, if that was even possible.  
The long haired one had pink hair and blue eyes. He was so pretty, he could be a Pearl. or even a Rose Quartz. His long pink hair did remind Steven of his mom, in fact. Maybe he's also a half-gem his mom didn't know about?  
The short angry one... He had really light lavender hair; the color reminded him of Amethyst's, even though the style was really angular and such. And his eyes had the color of peridots. In fact, Steven thought he could get along swimmingly with his small green friend.  
  
"You're the new Japanese students!" He shouted, waving at the three.  
"What is this child..." The pink haired one raised an eyebrow.  
"He's Steven." Buck replied, smiling. "He's a great friend."  
"He gives me a feeling of deja-vu." The lavender haired one sighed.  
"Ah, he's enthusiastic just like Yumoto-kun, isn't he?" The green haired one chuckled.  
"Well, I'm sure Hakone-kun is older than him, though." The pink haired one replied. "He's so small."  
  
"Hey, Steven." Buck waved. "These are Kinshirou Kusatsu, Akoya Gero and Arima Ibushi." He pointed at the respective young men. "They're the interchange students who came to study in Beach City. They're gonna stay in my house until their interchange is over." Evidently, if those three were going to stay somewhere, they had to stay somewhere important. And the mayor's house was the most important place where they could stay at, in this city.  
"Hey! My name is Steven Universe, nice to meet you!" He grinned, extending his hand to the boys.  
Akoya and Kinshirou looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Ibushi shook Steven's hand. He was so tall. Maybe as tall as Garnet.  
"Nice to meet you too, Steven." Ibushi pleasantly smiled. "We were going to make a tour through Beach City." He explained.  
"Ah! Cool!" Steven smiled. "I can be your guide!"  
Akoya and Kinshirou were anxiously shaking their heads behind Steven, so Ibushi would see it.  
He did see it and smirked. It was going to be fun.  
"Sure." He smiled. "You seem to know all the places."  
The other two sighed.  
"So, you gonna be okay?" Buck asked. "I can ask Jenny to give you a ride through the city while Steven shows the place."  
Ibushi nodded. He agreed it'd be cool if they went by car.  
  
And so they did. Jenny, their designated driver for the day, looked at the backseat through the mirror pretty consistently. The interchange students were cute, after all.  
"And you can see the whole city from here!" Steven pointed, as they drove by the cliff. "Isn't it beautiful?" He smiled.  
"It's really beautiful, indeed." Akoya smiled. "I think it's going to be a pleasant stay."  
"It's so radically different from Binan City, though..." Kinshirou looked as well. "A coastal city... While Binan is in the mountains..."  
"Well, it's good to have some variety sometimes." Ibushi smiled.  
  
They finally stopped their tour near the beachside. The trio noticed an enormous carved statue by the shore. It seemed to be partually damaged by time, and there was moss growing all over it. Still, it was rather intriguing... Was it a goddess?  
  
"And this is the beach..." Steven pointed at the seaside. "And this is my house!" He grinned, pointing at his house. Amethyst seemed to be leaving it. "Hey, Amethyst!" He waved.  
  
The three looked at each other. Was she... Purple?  
Then again, they couldn't say much, considering their respective hair colors. And some other things they'd rather not think about, too.  
  
"Yo Steven!" Amethyst waved. "Who are those guys?" She asked.  
"They're Kinshirou, Akoya and Ibushi!" Steven grinned. "They're interchange students!"  
"Yooooo!" Amethyst looked at them. "You're Steven's new friends? Cool!"  
She looked at Akoya, though. Was he a Gem? He had a Gem's name and looked like one.  
  
"Amethyst!" A voice yelled from the house. "Look at the mess you've made!"  
"Oops, P's angry at me! That's time to scraaa-am!" She then ran away, just as Pearl left the house.  
The three looked at each other, confused. That P woman looked more like the type they'd get along with, but was that a pearl on her forehead? Much like that purple woman, who had an amethyst gem on her chest...  
"Come back here, you--" She spotted the three boys with weird hair colors. "Steven, who are those people?"  
"They're new exchange students from Japan! Kinshiro, Ibushi and Akoya!" Steven smiled, as he pointed at each one. "Guys, this is Pearl!"  
"... Akoya?" Pearl looked at the trio. She stopped to look at Akoya. "A Pearl?"  
"My name is a type of pearl, indeed." Akoya flipped his hair. "One with an acute aesthetic sense like yours can see that pearls are just the best gemstones."  
Pearl smiled in relief. He was just a human who happened to have an uncommon hair color and be named after a gemstone. For a second, she thought Japan was already beng invaded by the Homeworld or something of the like.  
Still... What if he was a half-gem like Steven? What if Rose Quartz didn't tell her anything about other half-gems?  
Pearl was puzzled.  
  
And just as Pearl was puzzedly trying to understand why there was a guy who looked like he could be a Pearl and was named after one, Garnet was already by the beach.  
"Name's Garnet." She greeted them, who had already been presented to her by Steven. "Nice to meet you."  
Akoya and Kinshirou looked at each other, wondering why she was so tall. And hot pink, for that matter. Were they dealing with aliens?  
It was Ibushi who broke the ice and placed the inconvenient question.  
"So, I can notice that your friends are all named after precious stones, Steven." He smiled. "And Pearl asked Akoya if he was a Pearl. Besides, I noticed the interestingly placed gemstones. Are you guys human, or...?"  
Pearl's eyes widened. They weren't dealing with normal human folk; the three noticed they weren't humans right away. They were way smarter than they looked like.  
"It's understandable." Ibushi nodded. "It'll be our secret."  
"It better be." Garnet adjusted her shades. She probably saw something would happen really soon, with her future vision.  
  
And indeed she did, because she soon turned back to see... A water bear?  
"Another one of them?" Steven groaned, pulling the shield from his gem. "I thought we bubbled all of you!"  
The trio was more confused than ever. Was Steven a magical boy?  
Garnet and Pearl also pulled their weapons. And a very exhasperated Amethyst came yelling, whip in hands.  
"I was trying to run away from Pearl, you stupid bear!" She yelled, trying to fight it as well.  
  
The fight was balanced; Steven could use his shield in a way more efficient way he used to; Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst also had improved their weapons, courtesy of Bismuth.  
Though, as Amethyst tried to tie up the water bear with her whip, it got slippery and escaped, going to the direction of the foreigners.  
"Oh no!" Steven yelled.  
  
Garned smiled. She knew they weren't in danger.  
  
"Conquest!" The three transformed into Caerula Adamas.  
"Shining in Radiance! The Golden Chevalier, Orite!" Kinshirou shouted.  
"Blowing a fresh breeze! The Silver Chevalier, Argent!" Ibushi shouted as well.  
"Making flowers bloom! The Pearl Chevalier, Perlite!" Akoya whispered.  
"We are Caerula Adamas!" The three said, in unison.  
  
They had to be lightning fast as to dodge the water bear... And so they did.  
"Aurum Spectrum!" Orite created light-based illusions of himself as to fool the monster.  
"Perlae Petalis!" Perlite created thousands of flower petals that weakened the monster.  
"Argentae Catenae!" Argent shouted, as a whirlwind created a chain net from which the water bear couldn't escape.  
"Argent! Perlite! Now!" Orite shouted, as he drew his sword.  
The three stabbed the water bear, that poofed away, only a single gem remaining.  
  
"You did it!" Steven celebrated. "That was so cool! Now bubble it!"  
"... Bubble?" Perlite tilted his head.  
"They aren't gems, Steven." Garnet smiled, quickly bubbling the gem and sending it to the temple. "They're humans."  
"But I thought humans couldn't get special powers?" Steven tilted his head. "How did you guys do it?"  
"Ah, it's a long story." Argent chuckled. "We met an alien and he gave us those rings."  
"All in all, it's advanced technology." Orite explained. "Or at least that's what he told us."  
Garnet nodded. "Just humans. They were lucky."  
"But how did they do it?" Pearl looks at their rings. "Are there... Gems trapped in those rings?"  
Ibushi looked at his own ring. "Gems?"  
"We're the Crystal Gems!" Steven said, point at the gem in his own belly. "But I'm half-human, too..."  
"Hey, if those are gems, why are they imprisoned?" Amethyst asked.  
"I don't think those are gems." Akoya sighed.  
Amethyst grabbed his hand. "They look like gems to me! They're even green! Like Peridot!"  
"And then Lapis was trapped in a mirror!" Steven looked shocked. "Please free those poor gems!"  
Kinshirou sighed. "We saw our rings be created from the very power of our emotions." He explained. "Besides, your own gems look a bit too big to be like ours, don't they?"  
"We are our gems." Garnet blurted out. "Except for Steven. He's half-human."  
Ibushi looked at the Gems, then at Steven. He could try to figure out how all of it worked, but thought it was a bit too complex to even try.  
"So, the process to create your rings is similar to the one to create a Gem." Pearl seemed interested. "Except that it's a weaker version, because instead of your rings being full gems created in a Kindergarten from Earth's resources, they're just small powerups created from your own resources..." She seemed a bit fearful. What if humanity was under serious danger?  
"I think so." Kinshirou nodded. "Whatever a Kindergarten is." Those three were artificial beings, created with advanced technology. "Are you aliens?"  
"In a way, yes." Pearl nodded. "Some of us, at least."  
"It's complicated." Garnet nodded.  
"I'm from Earth's kindergarten, so, I'm from Earth." Amethyst grinned. "So, I'm not an alien at all!"  
  
Steven looked at the others, a bit curious.  
"But who created your rings?" He asked.  
"Ah." Kinshirou stood silent. Bad memories.  
"Arima-san, please tell them." Akoya sighed.  
"It was a green, speaking, sentient alien hedgehog named Zundar." Ibushi explained.  
"... Zundar?" Pearl tilted her head.  
"He tried to use us to destroy the world, but the Battle Lovers stopped us in time." Ibushi smiled. The Crystal Gems were ready to draw their weapons once again; human or not, if they're enemies of the Earth... "And after some reconcilliations, we're all friends now." They didn't do it, though. But to tell it all so nonchalantly.  
"We went to study abroad to get some rest..." Akoya sighed. "Not to get into even more trouble..."  
"It can't be helped..." Ibushi chuckled, a bit awkwardly.  
"But what was that monster?" Kinshirou asked.  
"A corrupted gem." Garnet replied. The other three seemed wary of the Gems now. "Former companions in the Gem War. Were corrupted by the Diamonds' attacks."  
The trio looked at each other. Diamonds?  
Akoya raised his hand. "... Diamonds?"  
"The Diamond Authority..." Pearl looked away. "White Diamond, Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond."  
The last name made the trio's eyes widen.  
"But we, the Crystal Gems, are going to defeat them!" Steven completed.  
  
"Blue Diamond..." Kinshirou whispered.  
"Maybe Zundar and that fish..." Akoya held his own arms, aprehensive.  
"So, it was all connected?" Ibushi looked at the Gems, trembling.  
"What are you talking about?" Amethyst asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you guys okay?"  
"We were named the Caerula Adamas." Kinshirou responded, hesitatingly. "That, in Latin, means..."  
"... Blue Diamond." Pearl gasped, shocked.  
"So, we were nothing but puppets in a reality show created by some alien gems..." Akoya was also trembling.  
  
The gems looked at each other.  
Was Blue Diamond trying at universal domination through planet-destroying mindless entertainment? And using organic life for it?  
Could it even be possible?  
"Take a rest." Garnet requested. "We all need it."  
"Please come with us." Pearl politely suggested. "I'll prepare you a cup of tea."  
"Thank you in advance..." Kinshirou smiled, a bit nervous.  
What kind of situation were those three facing, after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akoya pearls are a thing, so, no wonder Pearl was kind of hesitant around Akoya.
> 
> These attacks and their names are fanmade (well, except for Ibushi's chains, that is... But they were never named, so... Yeah.)


	2. Fusion!?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After school, the Caerula Adamas train sword combat with Pearl. Afterwards, another corrupt gem appears... And something happens.

Studying abroad might not be too bad. You get new friends, hang out with the cool kids... Heck, you can even be cool kids of your own. Will you look at this.  
  
Though, the trio still missed their friends in Binan City.  
Sometimes Kinshirou could be seen looking at his phone, but never quite knowing what to type.  
Sometimes Akoya helped him. He had some texting issues of his own, after all. He never quite knew how to convey his feelings to Io, and sometimes Ryuu irked him.  
Ibushi, on another hand, never had such trouble. Unlike the other two, he was really chill with the two who texted him. His conversations with En were more of a long, drawn-out single conversation. While with Yumoto... The other always texted first. Invariably.  
  
The second biggest issue was the timezone difference, but it was understandable; if they never found each other online, they could just answer in a later time.  
  
The first biggest issue...  
Kinshirou, Ibushi and Akoya were somewhat drafted into the Crystal Gem combat force.  
On one hand, it was advantageous. Learning battle strategies and swordmanship for free, from gems that were older than five thousand years? That was one of their luckiest strikes.  
On another... Gem stuff is weird. Not much more dangerous than stuff they've faced before, but certainly weird.  
  
Of course, it was part of their deal. They keep their respective secrets from everyone else, but in turn, the Student Council will have to participate in weird gem business.  


* * *

  
  
"We'll have to train with Pearl-san today." Akoya looked at his phone, checking his schedule. "She said my stance is really good, so, she'll probably excuse me for now."  
"As if." Ibushi smiled. "She's a very rigorous teacher, remember. Five thousand years under her belt and all, she wouldn't let you slip even for a second."  
"And she's right." Kinshirou looked at the other two. "Unlike gems, if we're wounded, we won't simply 'poof'. We only have one chance, so, we must make sure we're at our peak."  
"Are you saying it because she said your stance was the worst?" Akoya giggled. "I mean, not that she's wrong..."  
"I'm an archer, not a swordsman." Kinshirou sighed. "So, of course my stance is going to be faulty. But mind you, this is why I'm training. I cannot afford to be any less than perfect. What if those monsters attack Atchan? I'll do it for him! And I would do it again!"  
"You'll do it for her, that is to say, you'll do it for him." Ibushi smiled. He wasn't the only one Pearl sang that song to, huh?  
"Fighting for other people's sake..." Akoya sighed. "I fight to survive, you see. Other people wouldn't die for me, so, why would I even bother?" He flipped his hair, just as he saw Steven waving from a distance. He had a friend with him; a long-haired young girl who was carrying a huge sword. She looked like she was about 12 or 13 years old.  
  
"Hey!" Steven waved. "Guys, this is Connie, my best friend!" He grinned. "Connie, these are the new Japanese exchange students I was talking about!"  
"Good afternoon." Connie did a curtsy. "My name is Connie Maheswaran, douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu."  
The trio looked at each other. Such a polite child! And she tried to greet them in their mother language, to boot.  
"Kusatsu Kinshirou desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Kinshirou replied, bowing politely.  
"Arima Ibushi. Douzo yoroshiku." Ibushi also replied, a bit less formal than Kinshirou.  
"Holy Angel Akoya desu--" Akoya got elbowed by Ibushi. "Gero Akoya desu. Douzo yoroshiku." He bowed, sighing because he had to say his real surname.  
Steven looked at them, unsure of what to say. He didn't understand a word of Japanese other than 'arigatou' and 'sayonara'. He'd have to learn it if he wanted to catch up to Connie talking to the trio.  
"Connie, do you know Japanese?" Steven asked.  
"Not a lot of it, but I'm learning!" She smiled. "I feel this could be the perfect opportunity to practice, too."  
"I think I want to learn Japanese, too!" Steven nodded. "To be able to talk to my new friends in their mother language!"  
Kinshirou, Akoya and Ibushi smiled. Steven was truly a kind boy. It's little wonder as to why they softened their hearts so fast; he was like an adorable little brother who was always trying his hardest to make people happy.  
  
"By the way, they're the ones who'll train swordfighting with us today, right?" Connie asked.  
The trio widened their eyes.  
"Connie is also involved in Gem business." Steven explained.  
"When Steven told me about you guys, I couldn't help but feel a bit envious. I wish I could have a magical ring that gave me cool powers, too!" Connie giggled.  
"So, you fight corrupted gems without any extra abilities other than swordfighting?" Akoya widened his eyes, surprised. It was kind of surprising that a twelve years old girl could carry such a big sword, let alone fight monsters just through sheer determination.  
"Pretty much." Connie nodded.  
"I envy your determination." Akoya sighed. "If I only had my own hands to fight powerful creatures, I'd probably have given up long ago!"  
"But Akoya, you're a skilled member of Binan High's Fencing Club, much like I'm a member of the Kyudo Club." Kinshirou pointed out. "And you're expanding your style, with Pearl's training."  
"I guess so." Akoya smiled sweetly. "Kusatsu-kaichou, thank you for the encouragement. I'll need it."  
"You guys are from sports clubs? That's pretty cool!" Connie smiled. Those three were really cool, indeed.  
"Well, we're primarily members of Binan High's Student Council, so, you can see that at least initially, fighting wasn't our priority." Ibushi explained. "But things happened and now we're here."  
"Isn't it a bit odd, though?" Connie scratched her chin. "For an entire Student Council to go abroad... One would think they'd at least leave the Vice-President behind so he could overseer everything while the President isn't around..."  
  
Ibushi dry coughed. It was like Connie stabbed him with her words.  
"I-it's a long story, okay?" Ibushi chuckled, nervously. "One I won't really bother explaining because some things aren't really anyone's business." One could see he didn't nurture a lot of sympathy for Steven's friend, after she said it.  
"But she's not wrong, you know." Akoya smirked, teasing Ibushi. "What is our Vice-President doing here in Beach City anyway? Is he slacking off from his responsibilities?" He giggled.  
"Akoya, that's not it!" Ibushi got flustered. "You know, I just couldn't leave you and Kinshirou alone. I was afraid you'd be at each other's throats at this point."  
"But we're actually getting closer." Kinshirou smiled.  
Ibushi noticed it, feeling a bit left out. A pang of guilt crossed his body.  
"... Well, I'll go ahead." Ibushi sighed, entering the house. "We've yet to train, after all." He had a smile on his face, but one could see it wasn't quite genuine.  
  
As they were training, Pearl was taking notes and pointing out their mistakes, while congratulating their good deeds.  
"Amethyst, Ibushi, what are you doing?" Pearl asked, as both Ibushi and Amethyst seemed to be tangled; Ibushi, by Amethyst's whip, and Amethyst, by Ibushi's chain. "What kind of strategy was that?"  
"I though that maybe we could tie up the Holo-Pearls and squeeze them!" Amethyst sighed. "But seems like our plan didn't work."  
"I honestly thought it was a good plan, but maybe, in retrospect..." Ibushi shook his head.  
  
"Their faces and voices are all distorted when transformed..." Connie whispered.  
"I think it's something to protect their identities." Steven whispered back. "They don't need it to us, but maybe to other people..."  
"Understandable." Connie nodded.  
  
"Ibushi, keep yourself with swordfighting for now." Pearl advised. "You can train chains and whips with Amethyst later."  
"As you say." Ibushi bowed, withdrawing his chains with a gust of wind.  
"You heard her, Ibby!" Amethyst laughed.  
"... Ibby?" Ibushi raised an eyebrow. "And what are you? Amy?"  
"That's the spirit." Amethyst smiled. "Fast learner, huh? The other two are Kinny and A. Or maybe I could call A as Akky instead? Or Koya-Cola? Or maybe--"  
"Please don't give me nicknames!" Akoya protested, flustered.  
"Kinny...?" Kinshirou smiled, sighing a bit. Was that the American equivalent of Kin-chan?  
  
As they kept training, Pearl noticed that training six people was much harder than only training three. Even more because two of them insisted to go off-track. Amethyst was an expected one, but Ibushi...  
"Ibushi, what even is happening with you today?" Pearl sighed, frustrated. "You're usually such a good student, but today, you're being quite the troublesome one. Your stance isn't working the way it should, and you're being way more aggressive than needed. In a fight, acting like this could cost your life!"  
"You're right, ma'am. I'm sorry." Ibushi lowered his head. "I'm not having a good day, that's all."  
"Understandable." Pearl nodded. "But remember. In the heat of battle, we won't have time to think about the day. You'll need to concentrate."  
Ibushi nodded.  
"May I take off time, though?" He asked. "I don't want to be a burden to anyone else's training."  
"Well, you shall." Pearl nodded. "Maybe it's for the better you rest."  
"Thank you." Ibushi then unceremoniously left. His expression seemed to be rather upset.  
"I wonder if it's that thing I said earlier..." Connie sighed, feeling guilty. "I didn't intend to hurt him..."  
"I feel a bit guilty for it too." Akoya looked away. "I mean, I pushed it further..."  
"Now it's not the time to feel guilty!" Steven protested.  
"Steven is right. We should keep training." Kinshirou commented.  
"No!" Steven disagreed. "... I mean, you can keep training if you wanna! I'm gonna see if he's okay!"  
And so, he ran away.  
  
Ibushi, in the meanwhile, was walking on the shoreline. He was looking a bit downcast.  
"That girl was right, though." He sighed. "I should've stayed in Binan High. Even Kinshirou told me to."  
He sat down; he got startled for a second, when he saw a small shell moving. Thank goodness it was a hermit crab, though. Of course it wouldn't be a snail. Beaches don't have those. Saltwater and all.  
"I wonder how the school is doing without a Student Council..." He sighed once again. "I decided to join Kinshirou and Akoya because I worried more about them than about the school, but... In my place, I think Kinshirou wouldn't do the same..." He held his own arms, frustrated. "My decision was selfish and useless, in the end. I'm an idiot."  
  
It felt cold.  
Going to Beach City only to feel left out. Only to feel regret. To feel like a selfish person.  
It felt cold... Literally so, even.  
Ibushi looked up. An... Aurora Borealis?  
But Beach City was in America. And it was still Fall. How could there be an Aurora Borealis?  
It was suspicious. Ibushi looked around.  
And there it was. A... Shell-shaped monster.  
Ibushi froze in place. Was it a... A snail monster?  
  
"Ibushi!" Steven yelled. "Where are you?"  
And soon, he found it, on the distance. There was a snail-like monster, and he was frozen in place.  
The monster lunged in for an attack.  
Steven couldn't think about anything else other than to save his friend.  
He jumped and tackled Ibushi, to take him out of the way... And something happened.  
Where Steven and Ibushi once stood, there was an absurdly tall guy; maybe as tall as Rose Quartz. He had really fluffy, dark green hair. He looked at his own hands.  
"Okay. I won't panic." He whispered. He then looked at the monster and felt queasy, almost like unfusing... But something made him come to a realization.  
It's not a snail.  
It's more like a shelled squid. An ammonite, so to say.  
Deep breathing.  
Not a snail. Good. It means they can fight.  
  
"Bring it on!" The fusion smiled, drawing two shields. He then drew a chain. With both, he created a species of meteor hammer. "I call it... Silver Smiley?" The fusion chuckled. "I usually don't resort to senseless violence, but you scared both of us, so..." He threw the blunt end at the corrupted gem, hitting it.  
  
The corrupted gem hissed, biting on the shield part of the weapon. The fusion decided to jump and, extending its chains, tie up the creature.  
"And here's the final blow, hopefully!" He drew his sword, stabbing the creature. He made sure as to not shatter the gem.  
The monster was poofed. The fusion was unfused.  
"Oof!" Steven fell on the sand. He soon proceeded to bubble the ammolite gem and send it away, to prevent it from reforming and scaring his friend once again.  
"What even was that?" Ibushi was a mix between shocked and ecstatic. "It felt weird! It was like a comforting hug, but then I was someone entirely new! It was so strange! What did just happen?"  
"Fusion!" Steven smiled. "We fused!"  
"Ah." Ibushi smiled. It explained the what, but not the why or the how. "We... Fused."  
  
The others couldn't continue the training after Steven was gone, and watched just as Steven was going to begin to explain fusion.  
"So, you see." Steven began to explain. "We both were terrified of that corrupted gem, so, our minds synchronized and we ended up fusing!"  
Ibushi nodded. That's the why.  
"But how?" He asked.  
"Gems are capable of fusing with each other!" Steven explained. "And since I'm half-human, I can fuse with humans, too!"  
Pearl looked at the two. "You two... FUSED?"  
"It ended up happening as an accident, but we did!" Steven looked happy.  
Garnet, who was in the house at the time, accompanied the rest, as she already knew what could've happened with her future vision; she was smiling, ecstatic. Steven fusing with his friends was always great. Even more when it was one of those new mysterious boys.  
"We grabbed my shield and his chains and we made a cool weapon with them!" Steven began to describe.  
"Was it a yoyo, though?" Amethyst asked. "I bet it wasn't a yoyo."  
"It was more like a meteor hammer." Ibushi replied.  
"Almost as cool as a yoyo. Pretty great in my book." Amethyst smirked.  
"And then we hit the thing with it and tied it up and then we stabbed it and it poofed!" Steven finished telling the story. "If we didn't fuse, Ibushi would probably be done for!"  
  
"Fusion..." Kinshirou looked a bit disgusted. "It sounds kind of vulgar... Arima, he's a child! Aren't you ashamed?"  
Garnet sighed in the background. She'd probably have to explain what fusion was to these boys.  
"What?" Steven protested. "Fusion isn't vulgar! It's when your emotions synchronize! It's something awesome!"  
"I get it. It's some sort of mysterious magic, then." Kinshirou nodded, still a bit wary.  
"But still, you're like ten years old, though, aren't you?" Akoya asked, curious. "How come you're actually so level-headed in such situations?"  
"No, I'm fourteen." Steven replied, nonchalantly. "Besides, I was scared! if I wasn't, we wouldn't have fused!"  
Akoya and Ibushi were completely shocked.  
That small kid was actually almost old enough to be a high schooler himself.  
"I'll need to process it for a second..." Ibushi sighed. "It's not even the most uncommon thing I've seen so far, but still..."  
"Fourteen..." Akoya laughed awkwardly. "And here I thought he was like ten..."  
"I see." Kinshirou nodded. After all, he knew fourteen years olds who were pretty short. But he still was rather shocked, because he never met a boy THAT small at this age.  
Then again, there's Amethyst. She's tiny.  
  
Speaking about the devil...  
"Hey, Ibukins, I can teach you all cool tricks! So next time you fuse, you can look all sorts of cool!" Amethyst laughed.  
"Ah, really?" Ibushi chuckled, a bit nervous. Ibukins? That almost sounds like a pairing name. Kinshirou would probably be very unamused, if he got it.  
"Speaking of it, what's your fusion name anyways?" She asked. "Ibusteven?"  
"Well, I'm transformed, so, I think it could be Stegent?" Ibushi chuckled.  
"Ah yeah, you guys have those fancy names when you transform." Amethyst remembered. "I'm gonna call your fusion Ibusteven anyway, because it sounds cooler than Stegent!"  
"Ibusteven sounds cool to me!" Steven grinned. "Maybe well also see Stekoya and Kinsteven, if push comes to shove!"  
"What?" Akoya gasped. "As if I'd ever fuse! It sounds so weird!"  
"The concept still sounds really vulgar!" Kinshirou protested. "Becoming one with someone else should be reserved only to very special occasions!"  
Pearl nodded. Even if the reasoning wasn't quite the same, the spirit was there.  
Garnet, in the meanwhile, facepalmed. She really needed to give them the fusion talk.  
"Being scared to death of a monster is a very special reason!" Ibushi protested. "I mean, it looked like a... A..."  
"Ah." Kinshirou and Akoya whispered in unison, then looking at each other. They knew about Ibushi's phobia.  
"But how come you managed to defeat it?" Akoya asked.  
"I think Steven gave me enough reassurance to know it was not that thing, but an ammonite instead." Ibushi smiled.  
"So, it saved your life, so to say." Kinshirou concluded.  
"Pretty much." Ibushi smiled. "Thank you, Steven."  
"No prob, Bob!" Steven grinned.  
"My name is Ibushi, though..." Ibushi chuckled.  
  
Connie was looking from afar. She smiled as well, relieved that Steven's friend didn't die.  
But still, she felt a bit guilty for making this situation happen in first place.  
"Don't worry." Garnet smiled, reassuringly, without even needing to look at Connie. "It's not your fault. They have their own personal issues. He'll be fine."  
"I didn't know about their situation and ended up being too harsh..." Connie sighed.  
"Go apologize, if it makes you feel better." Garnet, as always, was the voice of reason.  
Connie nodded. She hesitatingly went to the boys' direction.  
"I'd like to apologize for earlier." Connie politely bowed. "If I realized you were the vice-president, I'd have shut up."  
"You're forgiven." Ibushi smiled. "It happens. You weren't supposed to know now, were you?"  
Connie smiled, albeit a bit awkwardly.  
"So, I think this asks for a celebration!" Amethyst grinned. "We're all gonna eat at any restaurant of your choice!"  
"Are you going to pay, Amethyst?" Steven joked, knowing Amethyst never pays for the food.  
"Paying? What is that thing you're talking about?" Amethyst laughed, going ahead of everyone else.  
  
As the girls and Steven went ahead, the trio detransformed.  
"Arima-san, are you okay?" Akoya asked.  
"Ah, yes, I am." Ibushi smiled; it was still a bit of an uncomfortable smile, though.  
"Are you sure?" Kinshirou asked.  
"More than I've ever been." Ibushi reassured both, as to not make things worse. "Now, let's celebrate with them?"  
"Sure. Let's go, Akoya." Kinshirou nudged at the others' direction.  
  
As Akoya and Kinshirou went away, Ibushi sighed. He looked at his phone, seeing a single new text from En and various new texts from Yumoto. He didn't feel like responding to any of them, though. In fact, only looking at them already made him feel kind of homesick.  
"I still have the feeling Connie might've right, though..." He sighed, slowly following the others. "Maybe I should've stayed back in Binan High."  
"Did you say something, Arima-san?" Akoya asked.  
"Nothing." Ibushi smiled.  
  
He couldn't say it. He wouldn't say it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the random Japanese. It's just something like "nice to meet you" (literally, more like "please treat me well").
> 
> Whip and chains... I'm sorry if it sounds weird. I dunno how to make it sound NOT weird. Then again, Ibushi and Amethyst make for a weird, almost unlikely friendship. But if Ibushi can get along with En and Ryuu, he CAN get along with Amethyst.
> 
> No, there won't be shippy situations between the boys and Steven. Don't insist. Steven turned 14 rather recently in this fanfiction, that'd be all sorts of weird; besides, I'm pretty sure he and Connie are going to become an item when they're older. The fusions between Steven and the boys will be taken in a completely platonic way. Think Smoky Quartz levels of platonic, if it helps.
> 
> Though, of course Kinshirou had to misinterpret what fusion is about. Don't worry, Garnet WILL give them the fusion talk. To clear all doubts. This fanfiction will have a lot of exposition, I told ya.
> 
> As for the fusing standards of the Caerula Adamas... It'll be elaborated a lot more in the next chapter.
> 
> Ibusteven's special ability? They're like a calming tea in a breezy afternoon. Hence why they could keep their calm and defeat the monster.
> 
> And yes, Ibushi is insecure and unsure. But he's not the only one...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet explains fusion to the Student Council boys.

The three are already at Steven's house, as promised. They look at each other, not quite understanding what Garnet was going to talk about. Fusion was still too much of an alien concept to them.  
  
Steven and Connie were also there, seemingly more eager for this talk than the other three. And there seemed to be two more gems, too.  
  
"I brought Lapis and Peridot because I thought they could learn a lot more about fusion!" Steven shouted, smiling. "It'll be so cool!"  
"I didn't really agree to come at first, but Steven insisted that I should come." Lapis awkwardly rubbed her arm. "My name is Lapis Lazuli. Nice to meet you."  
"It's understandable." Akoya smiled. "I didn't really want to come, either, but what can we do? Sometimes we got to please our friends. My name is Akoya Gero, pleased to meet you too."  
"Akoya, huh?" Lapis smiled. "I didn't know we had a Pearl amongst our learners." She joked.  
"Sadly, I'm still a human." Akoya replied. "But I'm pleased you recognize my beauty."  
"... Does this guy even know what Pearls are to the Homeworld?" Lapis whispered, looking a bit unamused.  
"I don't know if I even can fuse, but I love learning more stuff!" Peridot grinned. "I'm Peridot, nice to meet you!" She extended her hand.  
"I also appreciate learning." Kinshirou shook her hand, smiling. "Kinshirou Kusatsu, nice to meet you too." He bowed lightly.  
"Seems like Kinshirou found an intelectual equal, huh?" Ibushi smiled. "Arima Ibushi, nice to meet you too." He shook Peridot's hand as well.  
  
As soon as the greetings were over, Garnet appeared. She must've predicted this, because it was perfect timing. With her, there were Pearl and Amethyst.  
  
"I see you're already here." Garnet smiled slightly; she was always enthusiastic when it came to fusion talk. "So, you're already ready for the talk."  
"I don't see why not." Lapis shrugged. She didn't seem to be very pleased about being dragged around, but was glad she wasn't the only one.  
"First, we'll need to go outside." Garnet instructed.  
"Will there be demonstrations?" Steven asked, his eyes sparkling.  
"Of course." Garnet nodded.  
Akoya sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see this with his own eyes.  
  
As they were outside, all of them found a place to sit down, except for Garnet. Even Pearl and Amethyst did the honors.  
  
"Let's talk fusion." Garnet pulled a blackboard that was previously arranged to everyone's field of vision and began to illustrate it. The others looked at the illustrations, that weren't really all that great, but it was the best Garnet could do. "Sorry, I'm not an artist." Ah, typical teacher talk.  
  
"Fusion is when two gems, or when a half-gem and either a human or a gem, get in sync and become one." She began to explain, pointing at one of the illustrations. "It can be done due to a gem's innate properties; so, don't worry too much about it, because generation two gems could fuse. In theory." She looked at Peridot, who looked hopeful. Her future vision, though, still couldn't reach far enough to say with certainity that Peridot would fuse. Even Garnet has her limitations, after all.  
"Fusions can be done for a variety of reasons." She continued. "Due to life risk situations, or for more utilitarian means. It can also be an expression of a true friendship, or even true love."  
  
Kinshirou huffed. He didn't leave Binan High to have MORE love talk. But he had to pay attention, as Garnet noticed his huffing. Apparently, she can predict things and is really freaking strong, so, he'd rather not irritate her.  
"Fusions have the combined strengths and weaknesses of both parts. Not only in physical abilities and powers, but in personalities as well." Garnet pointed to an illustration. "Due to this factor, wildly conflicting personalities should find a common point as to stay fused, or they would fall apart. Because if your feelings are unstable, so will be your fusion. Unless, of course, it has an innate ability that hinders it." She glanced at Steven and Ibushi.  
  
"Innate ability?" Ibushi raised his hand, wondering. "What does it mean?"  
"Good question." Garnet replied. "As you could feel, a fusion isn't simply a sum of its parts, but also a completely new experience. Hence, the full extent of their abilities can be a mystery, even to someone with future vision like me." She smiled; it was only a half-truth, though. "Some fusions have yet to discover the full extent of their abilities, and they're usually discovered in dire times."  
"I felt really calm while I was Ibusteven." Ibushi noted. "I was really nervous and scared, but while I was fused with Steven, I felt that maybe things weren't so bad. It gave me time to think and act. I felt peace."  
"That's your fusion's ability at work." Garnet explained. "Ibusteven has the ability to momentarily calm down in the heat of battle. It's a very important ability for a fusion to have, as calm is necessary for stability. Though, you could still defuse, if your objectives differ." She explained.  
"Like when I bubbled the Ammonite Monster!" Steven grinned. "Ibushi couldn't bubble it and didn't know how, so, our minds were thinking differently, right?"  
"Exactly." Garnet nodded. "For fusions created due to utilitarian reasons, staying for long isn't needed. But for long battles against powerful enemies, stability is paramount."  
"Could you give us an example of a fusion that's primarily used for utilitarianism?" Kinshirou requested. "I'd like to see what you mean."  
"Opal." Garnet responded. "Pearl and Amethyst got extremely different personalities and can barely find a common point of agreement. But once their minds are set in an objective, they fuse. Sadly, due to their wildly unresolved differences, the fusion is usually short-lived."  
"Is it time to demonstrate?" Pearl was a bit nervous, but still eager.  
"Of course, P!" Amethyst grinned.  
"This time, it'll be easier, as both have been rather enthusiastic for a demonstration." Garnet nodded. "But Pearl is a bit nervous, so, both will need to dance."  
"Dance?" Akoya blinked, curious.  
"Dancing helps gems synchronize." Garnet explained. "When you're dancing, you and your partner need to collaborate."  
"Understood." Akoya nodded. "So, fusion is very beautiful!"  
"It is, indeed." Garnet smiled.  
Ibushi seemed to look at Garnet's hands as she spoke. He was going to ask her a question after the demonstration was done.  
  
And so, Amethyst and Pearl danced, forming Opal. She then grabbed Pearl's and Amethyst's weapons, forming a shooting bow.  
Akoya found it a very beautiful fusion.  
Kinshirou's eyes widened. An archer gem? Maybe he could train archery with her, in the end.  
Ibushi looked at Opal. She was huge. Just how big can gems get?  
"This is Opal." Garnet explained. "Pearl and Amethyst can't stay fused for too long, though." And just as she finished speaking, Opal unfused, with a laughing Amethyst and an embarrassed Pearl.  
"That was fun, P!" Amethyst chortled.  
"I don't believe so!" Pearl shouted, a bit flustered.  
  
Ibushi raised his hand.  
"Not to sound indelicate, but... Garnet, are you a fusion?"  
"Very perceptive." Garnet smiled.  
"I gathered it because you got two gems on your hands, while other gems only have one of them." Ibushi explained. "Opal also had two gems, so..."  
"Yes, you're right." Garnet crossed her arms. "I'm a fusion. I'm composed of Ruby and Sapphire. Ruby is fire, Sapphire is ice. I'm... Electrizing, so to say." She smirked, making a dramatic pause for effect. "I also inherited Ruby's enhanced physical strength and Sapphire's future vision, but both of their innate abilities were amplified by my existence."  
  
Now it was the time for Kinshirou to raise his hand.  
"Can fusions... Fuse?" Kinshirou asked. "For strategic purposes, of course."  
"Yes." Garnet responded. "Pearl, let's demonstrate."  
"Why me?" Pearl asked, still a bit embarrassed.  
"Well, you don't wanna Sugilite running amok now, do ya?" Amethyst grinned. She'd love to fuse with Garnet, but further embarrassing Pearl was a bit funnier.  
"Oh, of course not." Pearl shook her head. "I'll try to not be too embarrassed. It's just that... Making a show for so many visitors, it's kind of... You know, fusion should be reserved for important moments..."  
"Come on, P!" Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Don't think I forgot about the Rainbow Quartz incident!"  
"We don't talk about the Rainbow Quartz incident!" Pearl motioned for Amethyst to shush.  
"Listen, I'm curious for it, too." Peridot was taking notes on her tablet. Lapis was looking at her notes, sighing. Connie was doing so as well, but wasn't quite understanding what she wrote, as Peridot's thought process seemed... Unique. "I don't remember ever seeing you guys fuse!"  
"Okay." Pearl took a deep breath. "For the sake of knowledge pursuit."  
  
And so, Pearl and Garnet danced to form Sardonyx.  
"Dohoho!" Sardonyx laughed. "Welcome to The Sardonyx Show!" She looked at the others. "Wow, full house, huh? That's incredible, I've never had so many people watching me since The Great Gem Wars!" She grinned. "Well, it's a very different audience. They're not trying to shatter me, for one! Dohoho!"  
"It's Sardonyx!" Steven grinned. "Come on, Amethyst! We can do it as well!"  
"Yeah, sure." Amethyst smiled.  
  
And thus, Smoky Quartz was formed.  
"Hey, here's my showtime partner, Smoky Quartz!" Sardonyx presented the smaller gem, grinning like a proud veteran. "Let's not go too heavy on them, they might not understand our refined sense of humor, okay?"  
"Sure, Sard!" Smoky Quartz also grinned. "We're gonna give them the best--"  
"How are those shows going to improve our education?" Kinshirou asked.  
"Of course, there's always someone to ruin our fun. What are you, a hall monitor? A Student Council president?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer; she's part Garnet, after all.  
"Actually, yes, I'm the second one." Kinshirou sighed, unamused.  
"As expected. Student Council presidents have to keep the student body in check, after all. And even though I'm not a student, I've gotten quite a body!" Laughter erupted from literally nowhere. Seemingly, it was one of Sardonyx's abilities.  
Akoya and Ibushi also laughed. It was a nice joke, considering her size. Kinshirou got embarrassed. He didn't know how to respond to it.  
"So, since there's a fun ruiner, I guess we can't make our special number, Smoky." Sardonyx appeared to be upset.  
"That's a bummer, but it's understandable. School setting and all, right?" Smoky Quartz shrugged. "Guess we're being schooled on how it works!"  
"That's for sure! But oh, well. There's always another time! See ya!" And so, Sardonyx unfused. And so did Smoky Quartz.  
Kinshirou looked aghast. How different from their original parts could fusions even be?  
Akoya looked delighted. He loved how amusing Sardonyx could be.  
Ibushi was still laughing at the pun. Having a sense of humor is very important, after all.  
Connie blinked. She didn't realize fusions could be so different.  
Peridot was laughing her arm off. "Oh my clod, this is hilarious!" Rolling on the floor, almost literally. She didn't understand the jokes, but found them funny anyway.  
Even Lapis couldn't help but draw a smile, despite the fact she didn't understand the jokes. Just the whole mood felt like fun.  
  
"Any more questions about fusions?" Pearl asked.  
"Me! Me!" Peridot raised her hand. "Steven can also fuse with humans, right?" She asked. "I want to see!"  
Pearl and Garnet looked at each other. Steven nodded.  
"I'd like a human volunteer!" Steven requested.  
Connie and Ibushi glared at each other. Both wanted to volunteer to this noble mission.  
Kinshirou raised his hand. "I used to think fusion was vulgar, but now I want to try it out."  
Ibushi's and Connie's jaws dropped. Kinshirou, out of all people?  
"Sure!" Steven practically pulled the other to the front. "Can you dance?"  
"Not really..." He suddenly got embarrassed. Dancing before all those people...  
"Ah, Kaichou. Allow me to demonstrate. Conquest!" Akoya practically shoved Kinshirou aside and transformed, just to dance with Steven.  
"Wait, can humans transform like this?" Peridot whispered, asking.  
"No, I think those three got some weird rings to transform." Connie looked a bit upset. "It's advanced technology or something."  
"Oh, like my limb enhancers!" Peridot grinned.  
  
When Akoya and Steven finished dancing, there was a really big guy, almost as tall as Rose Quartz. He kind of looked like her, too, as he had long hair in ringlets. But his ringlets were in a darker shade of pink; they were almost wine colored.  
"I feel so wonderful!" The fusion exclaimed, looking at his own hands. "Quick, someone give me a mirror!"  
Kinshirou hands Akoya's hand mirror to the fusion; Lapis narrow her eyes, as this was a bit of a triggering object to her.  
"I look so beautiful! I love myself so much!" The fusion couldn't stop looking in the mirror. "It's such a wonderful thing to exist!"  
"What is your weapon, though?" Ibushi asked, looking at the fusion with awe. Akoya used to be so insecure, and now he's in a fusion that really loves himself.  
"Oh, good question!" The fusion summoned its shield, and then a shower of flowers, creating a giant flower bouquet that spread blossoms and petals everywhere. As he was using them, they were harmless; but in midst of combat, they could be lethal. "It's beautiful! I love my weapon! I don't ever want to undo myself!"  
"But we'll need to eventually return to Japan, though..." Ibushi looked at the fusion, a bit sad for having to ruin its fun.  
"Remember, Akoya. Naruko is still waiting for you." Kinshirou reminded his friend, because he knew he was somewhere in the fusion.  
"... Oh." And soon, it unfused. Akoya looked really upset. Steven was a bit less so, but he knew the boys wouldn't be in Beach City forever.  
"It was such an awesome fusion, though!" Akoya's eyes sparkled. "I felt like I was the most beautiful person in the world! It was so reassuring, so wonderful!"  
"It was really cool!" Steven smiled. "I knew you had it in you, Akoya!"  
"Had it in me?" Akoya blinked, confused.  
"You can't just create something out of nowhere." Garnet duly noted. "It has to be somewhere in your self. You love yourself."  
"I... I guess I do!" Akoya flipped his hair, completely feigning his self-security.  
  
"I see we all learned a lesson today. Class dismissed." Garnet then went inside, possibly as to meditate.  
As the others were going back to Steven's home, only two people were left behind: Akoya and Connie.  
Connie looked at Akoya, and then went back to the house. Her expression was uncertain, but not exactly happy.  
Akoya saw Connie go. He then looked at the sea.  
  
"Somehow, though, It didn't feel completely sincere..." He whispered to himself, his hair fluttering on the breeze. "It only made me feel like I can't truly love myself without depending on someone else."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Lapis, though. She really didn't want to return to Beach City. Someone save this blue gem.


End file.
